But the cost of that accident — which may be caused by motorists using cruise control, driving too fast for the conditions or not paying attention — trickles down to the public.

This season, that cost has been higher than ever in the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s southwest district.

There have been six accidents so far involving MnDOT snowplows in District 8, which has its headquarters in Willmar.

Typically there’s one collision a year, said Denny Marty, maintenance supervisor at the MnDOT office in Willmar. Some years that may be two, he said, but there has never been as many as this year.

In at least two of the accidents that involved a snowplow being rear-ended, the motorists were cited for inattentive driving.

On top of the citation fine and cost of a wrecked vehicle that the motorist incurs, the public shares the cost when a vehicle collides with a MnDOT snowplow.

Because of their size, the damage to snowplows is often minimal, with repairs costing a few thousand dollars. Sometimes that cost is paid for by the motorist who caused the accident.

But the greatest cost is lost time clearing roads and the potential danger that can cause for other travelers.

Even a minor collision with a snowplow can eat up three to five hours, said Craig Gertsema, MnDOT District 8 maintenance superintendent in Hutchinson.

It’s common for MnDOT snowplows to cover an 80-mile route. At 20 mph, it takes four hours to complete a pass on their designated roads, Gertsema said.

If that plow is not moving for four hours, it can mean that section of road is not getting plowed and motorists could be at risk.

If the crash happens on a high-traffic route, such as state Highway 23 between Willmar and New London, a plow may be pulled from a secondary route to take over on the high-priority road until the damaged plow can be checked at the shop, repaired and put back on the road.

The Willmar MnDOT facility has 18 snowplow trucks that are all kept busy during a weather event. Roads can’t be cleared as fast when 17 trucks are spread out over the same miles, Marty said.

“We lose trucks on the road and people see that,” Marty said.

“The level of service goes down,” Gertsema said. “It potentially impacts people on all the roads.”

Numerous accidents have been narrowly avoided this year when snowplow drivers took evasive action, Gertsema said.

In a recent incident on a highway bridge, a plow driver moved to avoid a car that was sliding in his path. The plow struck the guardrail to avoid being hit by the car, Gertsema said.

Plow drivers are “on their toes” watching out for distracted drivers and are ready to take evasive action, Marty said.

Just last week, a snowplow driver reported being passed by a motorist who had a cellphone strapped to his leg. The man was texting as he was driving, Marty said. He said drivers need to slow down, turn off the cruise and “pay attention” — especially when approaching a snowplow.